Lymphocyte development
Lymphocyte development involves the tightly regulated activity of transcription factors, DNA recombination enzymes and molecules related to apoptosis and cell cycle-control.
While a number of transcription factors guide the commitment of lymphoid progenitor cells to the B or T cell lineage, committed B or T cell precursors undergo a sequence of immunoglobulin or T cell receptor gene rearrangements defining distinct stages of early lymphocyte development. During their early development within the bone marrow and the thymus, lymphoid precursors have to pass checkpoints, at which only cells carrying a functional antigen receptor are selected for further development. Antigen receptor-dependent survival signals are mainly mediated through tyrosine-phosphorylation of linker molecules, protein tyrosine kinases and SRC-kinases.
The main scope of our research is the analysis of differentiation processes in lymphocytes and their malignant transformation in the development of lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma. Ongoing projects include the analysis of transcription factors in lymphoid lineage commitment, the regulation of DNA recombination in the generation of a diverse antigen receptor repertoire and antigen receptor dependent signaling cascades and their role in malignant transformation.
Prof. Dr. Markus Müschen, CV
Laboratory for Molecular Stem Cell Biology
ITZ, Building 14.80
Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
Moorenstraße 5
40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| Phone | : | +49-211-8119964 |
| Fax | : | +49-211-8119961 |
| : | markus.mueschen@uni-duesseldorf.de |
